Abdul Qadir, the man who revived the art of legspin bowling, has passed away in Lahore from a cardiac arrest.

Qadir, an integral part of Pakistan's most successful sides in the 1980s and a valuable mentor to Shane Warne and Mushtaq Ahmed among others, was 63, nine days short of his next birthday.

Qadir worked with Pakistan cricket in several capacities after his playing career was over and ran a private academy just outside Gaddafi Stadium. "PCB is shocked at the news of 'maestro' Abdul Qadir's passing and has offered its deepest condolences to his family and friends," the PCB tweeted.

More to follow...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs made a statement about how much they want Tyreek Hill continuing to catch passes from Patrick Mahomes by signing the star wide receiver to a three-year extension on Friday.

Sources confirmed to ESPN's Adam Schefter that the extension is worth $54 million and includes $35 million guaranteed. ProFootballTalk first reported the details of the contract.

"We're pleased we were able to reach an agreement with Tyreek to keep him in a Chiefs uniform for the foreseeable future," general manager Brett Veach said. "He understands our expectations of him as a member of this team and community. This extension is contingent upon the conditions Tyreek agreed to adhere to upon his return to the team in July.

"Tyreek is an elite player in this league and has played a major role in our team's success, and we're pleased that he'll continue to make an impact for us."

The extension comes only months after Hill, 25, was being investigated by the Johnson County (Kansas) District Attorney's office regarding injuries to his son. The prosecutor announced in April that Hill would not be charged.

On the field, Hill has been exceptional for the Chiefs. One of the NFL's fastest players, Hill's receptions, yards and receiving touchdowns have increased in each of his three seasons. Last year, in Mahomes' first season as a starter, Hill caught 87 passes for 1,479 yards and 12 touchdowns.

"I'm grateful for the opportunity to continue my playing career here in Kansas City," Hill said in a statement. "Kansas City is my home, and I appreciate the love and support from Clark Hunt, Coach [Andy] Reid and Brett Veach along with my coaches and teammates. To Chiefs Kingdom, you're the best fans in the world."

Hill avoided controversy for much of his time with the Chiefs until this year, when he was being investigated for possible child abuse. After it was announced he would not be charged, audio surfaced of a discussion between Hill and his fiancee about their son's injuries. Hill at one point told her, "You need to be terrified of me, too,'' before adding a derogatory term.

The Chiefs suspended Hill from offseason practice after the audio became public. He was cleared to play in time for training camp when the NFL announced Hill would not be suspended in regard to the incident.

Hill joined the Chiefs under controversy as a fifth-round draft pick in 2016. He had pleaded guilty two years earlier in Oklahoma to punching and choking his pregnant girlfriend.

Oakland Raiders receiver Antonio Brown, after a confrontation with general manager Mike Mayock on Wednesday in which disparaging language was used by Brown, has issued "an emotional apology" at a team meeting on Friday morning, a source told ESPN.

The source said Brown issued the apology with team captains "standing with him" and that the team "treated him like a family member" afterward.

On Wednesday, Brown initiated a discussion with Mayock midway through practice, resulting in the confrontation that had sparked the team's impasse with the player, according to a team source.

A Raiders source confirmed Brown was unhappy with the fine levied by the team and, seeing Mayock watching practice, walked over and initiated an exchange with the GM. The Raiders source confirmed information from another league source who said Brown called Mayock a "cracker" and unleashed a barrage of "cuss words" during the altercation.

The team source said Mayock tried to keep his cool and defuse the situation.

"[Mayock] was like, 'I'm cool, I understand your displeasure,'" the source said. "[Mayock] sort of just like ... just walked away because he saw it escalate."

The source stressed the confrontation escalated quickly, but it never appeared to be getting physical, and players, including linebacker Vontaze Burfict, attempted to separate Brown from the situation in order to calm him down.

That led to the team planning to suspend Brown, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The source said it appeared Brown had read the letter about the fine -- which he posted on Instagram -- before practice and was angry to begin with.

"When he saw [Mayock], he was like, 'I can address it,'" the team source said.

The Raiders source said of Brown: "Nobody works as hard. Nobody loves the game as much, but [it] seems like there is something that is distracting him from his love that [he] can't control."

Mayock told reporters that Brown was not at the facility Thursday and would not be practicing. He did not confirm or deny that Brown will be suspended.

Coach Jon Gruden also wouldn't divulge any specifics, saying after practice Thursday that the Raiders would "have an official announcement later." Gruden was asked if he saw the alleged incident between Brown and Mayock.

"Like I said, I'm not going to get into all of this," Gruden said. "Obviously, [Brown] wasn't here today, and when we have some information for you, we'll give it to you. ... I've been talking about the same guy every day.

"... I'm emotional about it, I hope you understand why. I think a lot of this guy. I think Antonio is a great receiver, and deep down I think he's a really good guy. So, I'm frustrated, I'm not going to say anything more about it, hope it all works out. But I don't have anything official to say about anything else until I get all the facts, and that's what I'm going to do."

Brown was listed as a non-participant for Thursday's practice.

Brown's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told ESPN's Get Up! that he continues to hope there is a solution to the situation.

"Right now I think his relationship with Coach Gruden is good, very good," Rosenhaus said Friday. "I'm not going to get into his relationship with Mike Mayock, but I will say that we're hopeful that that will be a good one, as well. It has been in the past; it can be in the future."

Rosenhaus added: "Listen, the NFL is a workplace. And in workplace environments, not everything is perfect. Antonio is a new player on this football team and we're trying to make it a very good relationship across the board. But what is very common in a new relationship is you try to get things in a good place. And it takes time."

Thursday night, Rosenhaus told ESPN's Rob Demovsky at Chicago's Soldier Field that he has been in contact with Raiders officials and that his client wants to play in the season opener Monday night.

"That's up to the Raiders," Rosenhaus said. "If it's up to us, he would like to play. But, ultimately, that's going to be their decision. He would like to honor his contract and fulfill his commitment to the Raiders. That's what we're trying to hammer out with the team right now."

In the letter, Mayock informed Brown that he was being fined $13,950 for missing a walk-through on Aug. 22, an unexcused absence. The letter also mentioned the team previously had fined Brown $40,000 for missing camp on Aug. 18 -- the day the GM issued his ultimatum to Brown, saying, "It's time for him to be all-in or all-out, OK?"

ESPN's Paul Gutierrez contributed to this report.

Football is back, and we're previewing the Week 1 NFL slate. Our NFL Nation reporters bring us the keys to every game, a bold prediction for each matchup and final score predictions.

Additionally, ESPN Stats & Information provides a stat to know, and the Football Power Index (FPI) goes inside the numbers with a matchup rating (on a scale of 1-100) and a game projection. ESPN Fantasy's Kyle Soppe and ESPN Chalk's Mackenzie Kraemer hand out helpful nuggets, as well. It's all here to help get you ready for a loaded weekend of NFL football.

Let's get into the full Week 1 schedule, starting with an AFC showdown between the Chiefs and Jaguars.

Jump to a matchup:
KC-JAX | LAR-CAR | ATL-MIN
TEN-CLE | WSH-PHI | BUF-NYJ
BAL-MIA | IND-LAC | CIN-SEA
NYG-DAL | SF-TB | DET-ARI
PIT-NE | HOU-NO | DEN-OAK

Thursday: GB 10, CHI 3

Chiefs at Jaguars

1 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 75.2 | Spread: KC -3.5 (51.5)

What to watch for: Nobody is really sure what to expect out of the Jaguars' offense under new coordinator John DeFilippo and quarterback Nick Foles. Can the Jags score 30-plus points? That's what it'll probably take to beat the Chiefs, who look just as potent as they were last season. -- Michael DiRocco

Bold prediction: Patrick Mahomes will throw at least two touchdown passes. That might not sound like a big deal for a QB who threw 50 of them last season, but remember the Jaguars were the only team to shut him out in that category in the regular season last year. -- Adam Teicher

Stat to know: Tyreek Hill scored on each of his first two touches of the 2018 season (against the Chargers), a 91-yard punt return and a 58-yard reception. He has a league-high 302 receiving yards in season openers over the past two years, but the Jaguars did limit him to only four receptions for 61 yards in Week 5 last season.

What to know for fantasy: Mahomes posted the best fantasy season ever by a quarterback (417.1 points), but the Jags are the fourth-best defense against quarterbacks since Doug Marrone took over in 2016. Only once last season did a QB go into Jacksonville and score 21-plus points (Carson Wentz). See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: Foles has covered seven straight games as an underdog, including six outright wins. Read more.

Teicher's pick: Chiefs 34, Jaguars 24
DiRocco's pick: Chiefs 31, Jaguars 20
FPI prediction: KC, 58.2% (by an average of 3.0 points)

Matchup must-reads: Chiefs 'expect to score every single time' and break downward trend ... Foles getting rare second chance to be franchise QB ... Foles lost his love for football; the Chiefs helped him find it

Rams at Panthers

1 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 69.6 | Spread: LAR -1 (50)

What to watch for: Don't be surprised if Cam Newton tests his throwing shoulder early with at least two deep throws, probably to Curtis Samuel, to make the Rams play honest. He also won't be hesitant to run. He led the Panthers in rushing in last year's opener. -- David Newton

Bold prediction: Todd Gurley will rush for more than 100 yards and will add a touchdown. He returns to the state where he grew up for the first time as a pro and is coming off arguably his most challenging offseason because of endless chatter about his left knee. -- Lindsey Thiry

Stat to know: Jared Goff led the NFL with 116 completions of 10-plus air yards last season. The Panthers, meanwhile, gave up 16 passing touchdowns of at least 10 air yards in 2018, tied for the third most in the NFL.

What to know for fantasy: Wide receiver Cooper Kupp returns to action after tearing his ACL last season. Kupp caught at least five passes in six of eight games last season and is averaging 1.3 red zone targets per game during his career (seventh best). See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: Super Bowl losers from the previous season are 3-16 against the spread (ATS) in Week 1 the following season since 2000. Read more.

Thiry's pick: Rams 28, Panthers 24
Newton's pick: Panthers 27, Rams 23
FPI prediction: LAR, 51.1% (by an average of 0.5 points)

Matchup must-reads: McVay: Defending Newton-McCaffrey duo a 'nightmare' ... Rams back up money truck to ensure Goff-McVay connection ... Fully healthy, Cam feeling 'like a rookie again' ... McVay provides compass for Rams to navigate past Super Bowl

Falcons at Vikings

1 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 66.3 | Spread: MIN -4 (48)

What to watch for: The Julio Jones-Xavier Rhodes matchup is always popcorn-worthy. A healthy Rhodes limited Jones to two catches for 24 yards in 2017 during one of his best years as a pro. But he is coming off a season riddled with injuries. -- Courtney Cronin

Bold prediction: Miami friends and former Florida State Seminoles Dalvin Cook and Devonta Freeman will each go for 100 rushing yards. But it's Cook and the Vikings who come up with the win. -- Vaughn McClure

Stat to know: Matt Ryan's 4,924 passing yards were third in the NFL last season, but the Vikings gave up only 196.3 passing yards per game -- also third in NFL.

What to know for fantasy: The Falcons have given up the most running-back receptions in each of the past four seasons, and Cook ranked seventh among running backs in receptions last December. See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: Mike Zimmer is 52-29-2 ATS as a head coach, the best mark by any coach in the Super Bowl era (minimum 50 games), including 29-12-1 at home. Read more.

McClure's pick: Vikings 24, Falcons 21
Cronin's pick: Vikings 24, Falcons 20
FPI prediction: MIN, 59.2% (by an average of 3.4 points)

Matchup must-reads: 'I get to be me again': Healthy Cook eyeing big Year 3 ... How 34-year-old Ryan stays young ... Vikings have big plans for TE Smith, but history suggests patience

Titans at Browns

1 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 53.9 | Spread: CLE -5.5 (45)

What to watch for: The unveiling of the Baker Mayfield-Odell Beckham Jr. passing connection, which has a chance to be among the elite in the NFL, will be reason enough to tune in. How the duo fares in its debut will offer a glimpse of how dynamic this Browns offense can be in 2019. -- Jake Trotter

Bold prediction: The Browns' offense is potent, but it will take time to get rolling in the season opener against a Titans defense that catches Cleveland at the perfect time. Derrick Henry runs for 125 yards and a touchdown. -- Turron Davenport

Stat to know: Henry led the NFL with 585 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns over the final four weeks of last season. That success came from his bruising running style, as he led the NFL with 2.85 yards after contact per rush.

What to know for fantasy: Mayfield was the only quarterback to throw for three touchdowns in Week 16 and Week 17 last season. See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: Cleveland is 0-13-1 outright and 4-9-1 ATS in its past 14 Week 1 games, but it did cover each of its past two season openers. Read more.

Davenport's pick: Titans 24, Browns 17
Trotter's pick: Browns 28, Titans 17
FPI prediction: CLE, 56.6% (by an average of 2.5 points)

Matchup must-reads: Chubb primed for Year 2, and 1K season that got away ... How will Titans fare without Lewan against Browns' pass-rushers?

Redskins at Eagles

1 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 47.9 | Spread: PHI -10 (45)

What to watch for: The Eagles are anticipating Washington cornerback Josh Norman will shadow Alshon Jeffery most of the game. That's all the more reason for Carson Wentz to target his other outside receiver, DeSean Jackson, who has a history of monster games against his former teams. -- Tim McManus

Bold prediction: Tight ends will do most of the damage in this matchup. The Redskins' Jordan Reed will catch five passes for 70 yards and a touchdown, and Eagles tight end Zach Ertz will continue his domination of Washington with seven catches for 80 yards and a score of his own. -- John Keim

Stat to know: The Eagles are 8-2 in their past 10 season openers, tied for the best season-opening record in the NFL (with the Broncos and Patriots) during that span. Meanwhile, the Redskins have lost five of their past six season openers.

What to know for fantasy: Wentz was one of three quarterbacks to throw for 300 yards and multiple touchdowns against the Redskins last season. See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: Philadelphia is 5-1 ATS in its past six season openers, and Washington is 1-5 ATS in that same span. Read more.

Keim's pick: Eagles 24, Redskins 13
McManus' pick: Eagles 27, Redskins 17
FPI prediction: PHI, 77.9% (by an average of 11.1 points)

Matchup must-reads: Pederson's message to Wentz: 'Let the team work for you' ... DeSean Jackson is out for redemption ... Jay Gruden: Redskins' defense has chance 'to be special' ... Eagles linemen want to bust the 'O-line body' stigma

Bills at Jets

1 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 31.4 | Spread: NYJ -2.5 (40.5)

What to watch for: Jets running back Le'Veon Bell makes his much-anticipated return to the NFL after sitting out the 2018 season because of a contract dispute with the Steelers. And second-year QBs Sam Darnold and Josh Allen, who are close friends, meet for the second time in what figures to be a long personal rivalry within the AFC East. Darnold leads Allen 1-0. -- Rich Cimini

Bold prediction: Devin Singletary will score two touchdowns. The rookie running back has a role on the ground and in the passing game, and will find his way into the end zone in both capacities Sunday. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques

Stat to know: Allen averaged 10.5 air yards per attempt last season for Buffalo, the second-highest rate in the NFL -- but he completed just 37% of his throws more than 10 yards downfield, which was the worst mark in the league.

What to know for fantasy: Bell was RB2 the last time we saw him (2017), averaging 22.8 points per game. And there were four running backs last season who scored over 25 points in a game against the Bills (Marlon Mack, Melvin Gordon, Leonard Fournette and James White). See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: The underdog has won five of the past six -- and nine of the past 11 -- meetings between these two teams outright. Read more.

Louis-Jacques' pick: Bills 24, Jets 16
Cimini's pick: Jets 21, Bills 20
FPI prediction: NYJ, 59.3% (by an average of 3.4 points)

Matchup must-reads: Why Gore keeps grinding for another NFL season ... Mosley embraces new start but won't let go of his past ... Gase's plan for Darnold: Play like Peyton

Ravens at Dolphins

1 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 27.1 | Spread: BAL -6.5 (38.5)

What to watch for: Dolphins coaches' eyes widened when Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson was mentioned this week, and they highlighted his passing game improvement from Year 1 to Year 2. "This is not a one-trick pony," coach Brian Flores said. -- Cameron Wolfe

Bold prediction: Jackson gains over 100 yards rushing. He's opening the season against a Dolphins defense that allowed Bills QB Josh Allen to rush for 135 and 95 yards in two meetings last December. -- Jamison Hensley

Stat to know: The Ravens have scored 54 unanswered points versus the Dolphins, including a 40-0 win in Week 8 of 2017. And the Ravens went 6-1 after naming Jackson the starting quarterback in Week 10 of 2018.

What to know for fantasy: Jackson ranked sixth in rush attempts and seventh in rushing yards over the final seven weeks of 2018 ... among all positions. Over that stretch, Jackson had more rushing yards (556) and rushing touchdowns (4) than Christian McCaffrey. See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: Baltimore has covered each of the past eight meetings. But Miami has covered six straight season openers, the longest active streak in the league. Read more.

Hensley's pick: Ravens 26, Dolphins 10
Wolfe's pick: Ravens 24, Dolphins 13
FPI prediction: BAL, 63.1% (by an average of 4.9 points)

Matchup must-reads: Harbaugh's T-shirt game is motivating the Ravens ... Tanking or not, Dolphins risk losing players' trust with current plan ... Decline at 29? Ingram set to deliver his rebuttal

Colts at Chargers

4:05 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 55.8 | Spread: LAC -6.5 (44.5)

What to watch for: With Andrew Luck's surprising retirement, how Jacoby Brissett plays in his absence will go a long way in determining the outcome. Head coach Frank Reich said Brissett just has to play within himself. "The message is you don't have to be a hero," Reich said. -- Eric D. Williams

Bold prediction: Running back Marlon Mack will rush for more than 100 yards. Mack rushed for 908 yards despite missing four games last season, and the Chargers gave up an average of 101.6 yards per game rushing last season and will be without starting Pro Bowl safety Derwin James (foot). -- Mike Wells

Stat to know: The Bolts are 19-6 (.760) against the AFC South with Philip Rivers at quarterback, and the Colts have lost nine of their past 11 overall with Brissett as their starting quarterback.

What to know for fantasy: For his career, T.Y. Hilton averages 1.76 fantasy points per target from Luck. That number dips with Brissett under center, but not as much as you might assume: 1.71 points per target (less than a 3% drop-off). See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: Indianapolis is 1-10 ATS in Week 1 in the past 11 seasons (2-9 straight up). Read more.

Wells' pick: Chargers 21, Colts 17
Williams' pick: Chargers 23, Colts 20
FPI prediction: LAC, 67.8% (by an average of 6.7 points)

Matchup must-reads: Colts confident Brissett won't flinch amid search for next franchise QB ... Ekeler, Jackson ready to share RB load with Gordon out

Bengals at Seahawks

4:05 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 46.1 | Spread: SEA -10 (44)

What to watch for: The debuts of Jadeveon Clowney, Ezekiel Ansah and Zac Taylor are the headlines for this one. Seattle will want to ease Clowney (holdout) and Ansah (shoulder) in given that both are coming off extended absences, so don't expect a full workload from either. And Taylor will have his hands full in his debut as Cincinnati's new head coach. -- Brady Henderson

Bold prediction: Clowney will have two sacks in his Seattle debut. He probably will be lined up against backup left tackle Andre Smith, the veteran who was signed two days before training camp. -- Ben Baby

Stat to know: Joe Mixon rushed for 1,168 yards (fourth in the NFL) last season, and he now faces a Seahawks defense that gave up the third-most yards per rush (4.95).

What to know for fantasy: In 2018, only Ezekiel Elliott had more runs of 15-plus yards than Mixon (23). See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: Seattle has won 10 straight home openers and is 7-2 ATS in nine home openers under Pete Carroll. Read more.

Baby's pick: Seahawks 31, Bengals 14
Henderson's pick: Seahawks 27, Bengals 17
FPI prediction: SEA, 77.0% (by an average of 10.7 points)

Matchup must-reads: Seahawks' 2-for-1 exchange: Clark out, Ansah and Clowney in ... Seahawks steal Clowney even if he's a one-year rental ... Cincinnati again serves as pivotal opportunity for Bengals' Taylor ... Dalton brushing off pressure entering pivotal season

Giants at Cowboys

4:25 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 42.8 | Spread: DAL -7.5 (45.5)

What to watch for: How much will Ezekiel Elliott play after returning from his holdout and only three practices? In 2017, Elliott returned from a suspension and carried the ball 51 times for 200 yards in the final two games. This time he returns from a holdout with only one padded practice. -- Todd Archer

Bold prediction: Jason Witten will have close to 100 yards receiving and two touchdowns in his first game out of retirement. The Dallas tight end has always feasted against the Giants, which includes four touchdowns in his past five games against them. -- Jordan Raanan

Stat to know: When the Giants have more blockers than defenders in the box, Saquon Barkley takes full advantage. NFL Next Gen Stats has the Giants running back at 6.4 yards per rush last season in that situation, the highest rate of any RB with at least 40 such carries.

What to know for fantasy: Barkley scored 49 total fantasy points in his two games against the Cowboys last season and did so in a variety of ways (14 catches in the first game, 109 yards on the ground in the second one). See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: New York was 7-1 ATS on the road last season, the best mark in the league. Read more.

Raanan's pick: Cowboys 26, Giants 16
Archer's pick: Cowboys 27, Giants 17
FPI prediction: DAL, 75.3% (by an average of 9.9 points)

Matchup must-reads: Jerry Jones pays Elliott: Time for Cowboys to win Super Bowl ... Why Engram might be Giants' No. 1 receiver ... Garrett is coaching for his job but you wouldn't know it

49ers at Buccaneers

4:25 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 42.3 | Spread: TB -1 (51)

What to watch for: The Bucs might have a strong vertical passing attack under Bruce "No Risk It, No Biscuit" Arians, but the Niners' pass rush could really do some damage up front against an offensive line that surrendered a whopping 19 sacks in the preseason. -- Jenna Laine

Bold prediction: The 49ers will match their interception total from all of last season by picking off Jameis Winston twice -- but Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans will have a huge game to even things out. -- Nick Wagoner

Stat to know: Niners tight end George Kittle gained 855 of his 1,377 receiving yards last season after the catch, the most by any player since YAC was first tracked in 2006.

What to know for fantasy: Only two teams gave up more deep touchdown passes than the 49ers last season, and Winston led the league in air yards per pass attempt. See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: San Francisco is 0-7 ATS and straight up in its past seven games where the total was in the 50s. Read more.

Wagoner's pick: Buccaneers 27, 49ers 24
Laine's pick: Buccaneers 24, 49ers 16
FPI prediction: TB, 52.0% (by an average of 0.8 points)

Matchup must-reads: 49ers must figure out what they have in Garoppolo in 2019 ... What's shaping Winston's fate with the Bucs in 2019?

Lions at Cardinals

4:25 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 25.0 | Spread: DET -2.5 (46.5)

What to watch for: The Cardinals' offense has been a tightly kept secret since coach Kliff Kingsbury was hired in January, leaving plenty of questions about how much Arizona will throw the ball. This will be our first real look. -- Josh Weinfuss

Bold prediction: Arizona QB Kyler Murray ends up with 125 yards passing and 50 yards rushing in the first half, but the Lions' defense stifles him in the second half to force turnovers and give Detroit a come-from-behind win. -- Michael Rothstein

Stat to know: Both Murray and Kingsbury are set to make their NFL debuts. According to Elias Sports Bureau research, they would be the third-youngest quarterback-head coach duo to make their NFL debuts in the same game since the merger in 1970 (the Raiders' Steve Beuerlein and Mike Shanahan in 1988, and the Colts' Bert Jones and Howard Schnellenberger in 1973).

What to know for fantasy: Kerryon Johnson was RB10 over his final two games of 2018, and he gets a Cardinals defense that allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing RBs last season. See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: Quarterbacks making their first career starts are 9-1-1 ATS since 2013 (8-0-1 ATS as the underdog). Read more.

Rothstein's pick: Lions 27, Cardinals 20
Weinfuss' pick: Lions 30, Cardinals 28
FPI prediction: DET, 50.9% (by an average of 0.4 points)

Matchup must-reads: Murray's 'pinpoint' accuracy has already made an impression ... Lions face challenge of the 'unknown' in Murray, Kingsbury

Steelers at Patriots

8:20 p.m. ET | NBC
Matchup rating: 69.2 | Spread: NE -6 (49)

What to watch for: Tom Brady faces the Steelers' pass rush, which tied for an NFL-high 52 sacks last season, with backup center Ted Karras stepping in for David Andrews (IR, blood clots in lungs) and 2018 first-round pick Isaiah Wynn (IR as a rookie/torn Achilles) making his first career start at left tackle. How the Patriots' offensive line protects him might be the difference. -- Mike Reiss

Bold prediction: The Steelers' improved defense will intercept Brady inside Gillette Stadium for the first time ever. Pittsburgh feels it finally has the playmakers in the back seven to match wits with Brady, who has never lost to Pittsburgh at home. -- Jeremy Fowler

Stat to know: Brady has a 86.1 Total QBR against the Steelers since the metric was first tracked in 2006, his second-best QBR against a single opponent in that span (91.8 vs. the Bears).

What to know for fantasy: In Sony Michel's past four games with at least 15 carries (playoffs included), he ran for seven touchdowns and averaged 22.3 fantasy points per game. See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: Pittsburgh was 5-0 ATS as an underdog (4-1 outright) last season, including a win vs. New England. But Brady is 7-3-1 ATS against Ben Roethlisberger. Read more.

Fowler's pick: Steelers 27, Patriots 20
Reiss' pick: Patriots 27, Steelers 24
FPI prediction: NE, 65.1% (by an average of 5.6 points)

Matchup must-reads: 'Adaptable' Patriots' plan of attack in 2019? Whatever works ... Steelers come to Tom Brady chess match with versatile pieces ... Gronk: Call from Brady wouldn't tempt me back

Texans at Saints

Monday, 7:10 p.m. ET | ESPN/ESPN App
Matchup rating: 71.3 | Spread: NO -6.5 (52.5)

What to watch for: Saints players and coaches have downplayed the idea of a "hangover effect" from the NFC Championship Game, but it sure would help them move on if they could win their first season opener since 2013. -- Mike Triplett

Bold prediction: Drew Brees throws for 400 yards. The Texans' defense lost Tyrann Mathieu, Kareem Jackson and Jadeveon Clowney this offseason, and even with some new additions, Brees and Michael Thomas could take advantage of the Texans' secondary. -- Sarah Barshop

Stat to know: Brees becomes the sixth different quarterback to start a season opener at age 40 or older since 1950, joining Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Vinny Testaverde, Warren Moon and Johnny Unitas. And the Saints are 20-6 at home in prime time under Brees (2-0 last season).

What to know for fantasy: Keke Coutee is unlikely to play, and Will Fuller went over 100 receiving yards with a touchdown in all three games he played with Coutee inactive in 2018. See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: Houston QB Deshaun Watson is 7-2 ATS as an underdog in his career (4-5 straight up). Read more.

Barshop's pick: Saints 35, Texans 20
Triplett's pick: Saints 29, Texans 23
FPI prediction: NO, 65.3% (by an average of 5.7 points)

Matchup must-reads: Tunsil, Clowney moves will define Texans ... Tales of Drew Brees in the huddle? There's really just one ... O'Brien wants the Patriot Way. His trades go against it

Broncos at Raiders

Monday, 10:20 p.m. ET | ESPN/ESPN App
Matchup rating: 33.9 | Spread: DEN -2.5 (43)

What to watch for: How emotionally drained will the Raiders be from the Antonio Brown on-again, off-again saga? The adrenaline rush from a season opener will carry the Raiders early, and an improved defense should hold the Broncos at bay. And now that Brown is back in the building, he will dominate the conversation. -- Paul Gutierrez

Bold prediction: The Broncos sacked Derek Carr at least three times in three of their first four meetings but haven't sacked him more than twice in a game in any of the past five meetings. Denver will need to sack him at least four times Monday night to get a road win. -- Jeff Legwold

Stat to know: The Broncos have won seven consecutive season openers, the longest active streak in the NFL and the longest streak in franchise history. But they've also lost three straight at the Raiders and three straight games on Monday Night Football -- all to AFC West opponents.

What to know for fantasy: Denver gave up the fifth-most deep touchdown passes last season, and Tyrell Williams, stepping into a more prominent role than ever before, ranks fourth in yards per catch during his career (minimum 150 catches). See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: Denver is 5-13 ATS in its past 18 road games and 2-8 ATS in its past 10 divisional games. Read more.

Legwold's pick: Broncos 23, Raiders 20
Gutierrez's pick: Raiders 17, Broncos 16
FPI prediction: OAK, 51.7% (by an average of 0.7 points)

Matchup must-reads: Miller's 2019 season was built on 14 words ... Is Carr entering a 'prove-it' season with the Raiders?

Oakland Raiders coach Jon Gruden said he is counting on having embattled wide receiver Antonio Brown in the lineup for the season opener against the Denver Broncos on Monday night.

"That's the plan," Gruden told reporters during a short statement at Friday's practice.

"Antonio is back today," Gruden said. "We're really excited about that. Ready to move on. He's had a lot of, obviously, time to think about things. We're happy to have him back and I know Raider Nation is excited about that, too."

Earlier Friday, a source told ESPN's Josina Anderson that Brown issued "an emotional apology" during a team meeting on Friday morning.

That apology came on the heels of a confrontation with general manager Mike Mayock on Wednesday, in which disparaging language was used by Brown, a source told ESPN.

On Wednesday, Brown initiated a discussion with Mayock midway through practice, resulting in the confrontation that had sparked the team's impasse with the player, according to a team source.

A Raiders source confirmed Brown was unhappy with the fine levied by the team and, seeing Mayock watching practice, walked over and initiated an exchange with the GM. The Raiders source confirmed information from another league source who said Brown called Mayock a "cracker" and unleashed a barrage of "cuss words" during the altercation.

The team source said Mayock tried to keep his cool and defuse the situation.

"[Mayock] was like, 'I'm cool, I understand your displeasure,'" the source said. "[Mayock] sort of just like ... just walked away because he saw it escalate."

The source stressed the confrontation escalated quickly, but it never appeared to be getting physical, and players, including linebacker Vontaze Burfict, attempted to separate Brown from the situation in order to calm him down.

On Friday, Brown issued the apology with team captains "standing with him" and that the team "treated him like a family member" afterward, the source said.

Poland had not been to the World Cup in 52 years.

It's making up for lost time.

Poland is in the driver's seat for a quarterfinal berth next week after beating Russia 79-74 in a second-round opener on Friday in Foshan, China. Adam Waczynski scored 18 points and Mateusz Ponitka added 14 for Poland, which stayed unbeaten at 4-0 and could clinch a quarterfinal spot in a number of ways -- the simplest being a win over Argentina on Sunday.

"It's a great feeling but we don't want to stop,'' Poland guard Lukasz Koszarek said. "We know it'll be more difficult and more difficult, but we don't want to stop.''

Mikhail Kulagin scored a game-high 21 for Russia (2-2), which was eliminated from quarterfinal contention. The Russians play their second-round finale on Sunday against Venezuela.

Poland shot only 36 percent, but went 35-for-38 from the foul line.

Poland led by one with 2:20 left when Ponitka drove the lane, stumbled to the floor under the basket and somehow fired the ball out to Aaron Cel in the left corner as he fell. Cel hit a 3-pointer off the improbable assist, putting Poland up 72-68, and the team kept the lead the rest of the way.

"This is the competitive will, the heart, the toughness of our team -- to find a way and keep competing,'' Poland coach Mike Taylor said.

Taylor said he thinks the run by Poland in this World Cup, the country's first appearance in FIBA's signature event since 1967, will be a spark for growing the game in the country.

"I think it means everything,'' Taylor said. "I think the country can take self-confidence from the performance of these players. We can compete. We can do it.''

Russia led 40-29 late in the half, but Ponitka made a 30-footer to beat the buzzer to end the second quarter and cut Poland's deficit to six going into the break. The Russian lead was still seven late in the third, but Poland ended the game on a 29-17 run.

"It was a very difficult loss,'' Russia guard Vitaly Fridzon said. "We controlled the game. ... Devastating to lose like that. Maybe we lacked some luck.''

Russia coach Sergey Bazarevich said the free-throw disparity -- Russia shot 19, half as many as Poland -- was a major factor.

"If you look at the stats, we were better in everything,'' Bazarevich said. "In every aspect, we were better.''

SERBIA 90, PUERTO RICO 47

At Wuhan, Serbia had no trouble with Puerto Rico on the way to remaining unbeaten and moving to the cusp of a quarterfinal berth.

Nemanja Bjelica scored 18 points, Boban Marjanovic scored 16 and Nikola Jokic finished with 14 for Serbia (4-0), which shot 56 percent. David Huertas scored 11 for Puerto Rico, which was held to 27 percent shooting.

"Not a lot to tell,'' Serbia coach Sasha Djordjevic said.

Serbia is shooting 61 percent through four games so far at the World Cup. Jokic (20-for-24) and Marjanovic (19-for-23) are shooting a combined 83 percent.

LATER FRIDAY

Argentina (3-0) vs. Venezuela (2-1); Spain (3-0) vs. Italy (2-1)

SATURDAY SCHEDULE

United States (3-0) vs. Greece (2-1); France (3-0) vs. Lithuania (2-1); Brazil (3-0) vs. Czech Republic (2-1); Australia (3-0) vs. Dominican Republic (2-1)

OLYMPICS UPDATE

FIBA confirmed that Australia is the second team to clinch a spot in next year's Tokyo Olympics by being the top World Cup finisher from the Oceania region. Japan and Australia are now in the 12-team field. Another six spots will be decided by the end of this World Cup.

CLASSIFICATION ROUND

Nigeria (2-2) 83, Ivory Coast (0-4) 66

Iran (1-3) 71, Angola (1-3) 62

China (1-2) vs. South Korea (0-3); Tunisia (1-2) vs. Philippines (0-3)

SATURDAY

New Zealand (1-2) vs. Japan (0-3); Canada (1-2) vs. Jordan (0-3); Turkey (1-2) vs. Montenegro (0-3); Germany (1-2) vs. Senegal (0-3)

TAMPA, Fla. -- New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton had five plate appearances in a simulated game Friday as he works to return this month from a knee injury.

The slugger also worked out in right field at the Yankees' complex in Tampa, Florida. He is expected to take part in another simulated game Saturday.

Stanton has been limited to nine games this year, hitting .290 with a home run and 7 RBIs.

He strained his left biceps March 31 in his third game, strained a shoulder and calf during his rehabilitation and did not return until June 18. A week later, he strained the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during an awkward headfirst slide into third base.

Also, outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury continues his season-long rehab. He is nearing the conclusion of a second consecutive year without playing in a major league game.

Ellsbury, who turns 36 Wednesday, worked out indoors. He had left hip surgery in August 2018 and been slowed by other injuries, including plantar fasciitis in the right foot.

Ellsbury is guaranteed more than $21 million in 2020, the final season of a $153 million, seven-year contract that includes a $21 million team option for 2021 with a $5 million buyout.

Mike Minor starts Saturday for the Rangers against the Orioles and with a good outing -- a strong possibility given the opponent -- Minor could move into the lead for the best individual pitching season in Rangers history, at least via Baseball-Reference WAR.

I've been slightly obsessed with Minor's WAR for most of the season, ever since he got off to a hot start and then peaked with a complete game on June 26 to lower his ERA to 2.40. By that time, he had established a clear chance to post the highest WAR ever for a Rangers pitcher. He's slowed down a bit since then, but enters this game at 12-8 with a 3.12 ERA. You may be thinking: Sure, that's a nice season, but the best in Rangers history? What about Nolan Ryan or ... umm ... OK, the Rangers don't exactly have a storied legacy of stellar starting pitching. No Rangers pitcher has won a Cy Young Award. The best finisher was Fergie Jenkins, who finished second in 1974. That also ranks -- for now -- as the best season in Rangers history:

Jenkins, 1974: 25-12, 2.82 ERA, 328.1 IP, 29 CG, 7.7 WAR

Minor, 2019: 12-8, 3.12 ERA, 181.2 IP, 2 CG, 7.6 WAR

Now, 1974 is a long ways from 2019, so Jenkins' numbers look ridiculously crazy compared to Minor's. Twenty-nine complete games! Alas, this article isn't about Mike Minor and Fergie Jenkins, but rather that my obsession with Minor's WAR has meant I've seen his name atop the WAR leaderboard most of the season. So this article is about how Minor's Baseball-Reference WAR could possibly be better than Justin Verlander's (and every other pitcher in the sport).

But why stop there? Let's look at a few of the other weirdest and most surprising WAR totals of the season (we're sticking to B-R WAR throughout, with all totals and stats through Wednesday's games).

Case No. 1: Mike Minor (7.6 WAR) versus Justin Verlander (6.7)

Quick timeout. You can skip the next few paragraphs if you know about WAR and just want to get to the fun stuff. WAR has become a mainstream statistic over the past few years -- the Mike Trout versus Miguel Cabrera debates from 2012 and 2013 almost feel like another era. Its usage has advanced beyond the provenance of sabermetric writers (and front offices) as most national and beat writers now reference WAR on a regular basis. MLB Network and ESPN cite it as a routine part of their various shows. Local game broadcasts aren't quite as deep into the mud, but we're seeing or hearing WAR mentioned more often, which means the casual fan who isn't watching Brian Kenny every afternoon is getting more exposure to it.

So, to that fan in particular, this may not compute:

Minor: 12-8, 3.12 ERA, 181.1 IP, 158 H, 58 BB, 180 SO, 7.6 WAR

Verlander: 17-5, 2.56 ERA, 193 IP, 114 H, 35 BB, 257 SO, 6.7 WAR

Verlander leads in every category ... except the one that says Minor is better. For the uninitiated, WAR stands for wins above replacement. The basic framework involves comparing a player to the average player and then the average player to the replacement-level player ... for ease of understanding, think of most players on the Tigers as a replacement-level player. As the Baseball-Reference site explains, "There is no one way to determine WAR. There are hundreds of steps to make this calculation, and dozens of places where reasonable people can disagree on the best way to implement a particular part of the framework."

Anyway, let's get to Minor and Verlander, with a short-and-dirty explanation, not the hundreds of steps part. In evaluating pitchers, there are five primary components to Baseball-Reference WAR: (1) How many runs has he allowed? (2) How much has he pitched? (3) Where has he pitched? (4) How much has his defense hurt or helped him? (5) What opposing lineups has he faced?

Minor has allowed 3.27 runs per nine innings, Verlander 2.66. Park effects help Minor. Baseball-Reference uses three-year park effects and Globe Life Park is a good hitters' park -- a park factor of 111, meaning it boosts offense 11%. Minute Maid, contrary to popular belief, is actually a slight pitchers' park. Including road games, Minor ends up with a park factor of 109.8 and Verlander 98.7. Minor has faced slightly tougher lineups -- his opponents' average runs scored per nine innings is 5.06 and Verlander 4.94. Basically, Minor has had to face the Astros four times while Verlander has had the good fortune of not having to face his own teammates.

The final category is team defense. You should understand: Defensive evaluation is still controversial! Baseball-Reference uses defensive runs saved, calculated by Sports Info Solutions. According to DRS, the Rangers have been a bad defensive team and the Astros a very good one, with the Rangers' D costing Minor 0.24 runs per nine innings and the Astros' D saving Verlander to 0.24 runs per nine.

So the difference in defense alone is worth almost half run per game in favor of Minor. Going back to each pitcher's runs allowed per game, that would lower Minor's total to 3.03 and raise Verlander's to 2.90. From there, the park effects and quality of opposition increases Minor's value and he ends up credited with 55 runs saved above an average pitcher and Verlander 46 runs above average. Those figures are then translated to the above WAR numbers.

Is this reasonable? Certainly, especially if you accept the defensive numbers. On the other hand, Verlander has certainly been more dominant: Many fewer hits allowed and many more strikeouts. Baseball-Reference spits it all out and says Minor has been the best pitcher in baseball this year.

P.S. FanGraphs WAR, which uses a different philosophy in rating pitchers, says Verlander has been better. But it also says Lance Lynn -- Minor's teammate -- has been better than Verlander and rates as the best pitcher in the American League.

Let's move on.

Case No. 2: Ketel Marte (6.6) versus Christian Yelich (6.4)

Cody Bellinger versus Christian Yelich, Christian Yelich versus Cody Bellinger. The NL MVP race has been a two-man battle all season after both players had monster Aprils. If there's a third wheel in the discussion, maybe it's Anthony Rendon. Yet ... there's Ketel Marte, the Arizona Diamondbacks' center fielder/second baseman who hit one home run for the Mariners in 437 at-bats in 2016, surging pass Yelich into second place on the National League WAR leaderboard. It's a wonderful thing, this baseball season we're living in. Their stats:

Marte: .328/.387/.591, .978 OPS, 30 HR, 85 RBI, 92 runs

Yelich: .326/.422/.672, 1.093 OPS, 43 HR, 93 RBI, 96 runs

Yelich's OPS is more than 100 points higher, he has more home runs, he's even stolen 26 bases (in 28 attempts) to nine for Marte. How can Marte be better? (Keep in mind that small differences in WAR are meaningless, so don't get too worked up ever two-tenths of a win. Still, nobody is putting Marte in the Bellinger/Yelich MVP discussion.)

For position players, WAR evaluates a player's offensive production, baserunning and defensive value. There is also a position adjustment to consider. Playing shortstop or center field is more difficult than first base, so WAR accounts for that. Keep in mind as well that WAR is a cumulative statistic, so more playing time helps. Marte has had 27 more plate appearances than Yelich, a minor factor in his favor.

For offensive value, Baseball-Reference determines how many runs a player has created compared to an average hitter and then makes a park adjustment. Clutch hitting is not considered (maybe one of the most controversial aspects of WAR). A home run against the Orioles counts the same as a home run against the Dodgers.

Yelich is credited with 51 runs above average (including park effects) to 35 for Marte. On defense, Marte has plus-9 DRS while Yelich is at minus-1. That makes it 50 runs for Yelich and 44 for Marte. Yelich gets plus-5 runs for his baserunning (includes base stealing and advancement on the bases) and Marte plus-2. Hitting into double plays is a bad thing, so that's another category. Both players are plus-1 run there, so Yelich leads, 56 runs above average to 47.

One last adjustment. Marte has started 78 games in center field, 44 at second and five at shortstop. Yelich has started 116 games in right field and three in left. Marte receives a positional adjustment of five runs. Yelich plays lower on the defensive spectrum and receives an adjustment of minus-5 runs. That makes it 52 to 51 runs above average in favor of Marte, and thus the slight edge in WAR.

If the positional adjustment doesn't make sense, view it this way. If a shortstop is credited with 10 runs saved on defense and a first baseman is credited with 10 saved, if you didn't make a positional adjustment, both players would receive credit for the same value on defense. But shortstop is more difficult to play (and the first baseman would probably be a terrible shortstop), so we need to make an adjustment to more accurately compare the two players.

The bottom line: Yelich is having an amazing season. But so is Marte! I think with offensive stats, we sometimes overestimate the difference in numbers between hitters. We see Yelich with the big home run total and slugging percentage and it feels like he's on another plane of existence. Maybe he is. Did you see him in the Body Issue?

Here's another way to look at this. Think of the Tigers versus the Twins. The Tigers have a .682 OPS while the Twins are at .841. That's a huge difference, larger than the difference between Marte and Yelich. The Twins have scored 822 runs to 503 for the Tigers. That's an average of 35 runs per lineup position -- the difference between the highest-scoring team in the league and a team with a historically terrible offense. The difference between Marte and Yelich is smaller than a typical Twins hitter and a typical Tigers hitter.

So maybe it's time to add Marte to the MVP talk.

Case No. 3: Marcus Semien (5.8) versus Mookie Betts (5.8), Rafael Devers (4.8) and Xander Bogaerts (4.8)

Speaking of MVP talk, we hear Devers and Bogaerts mentioned as American League MVP candidates (non-Mike Trout division), but not Semien, the underrated shortstop for the A's. Numbers:

Semien: .272/.355/.491, .846 OPS, 26 HR, 75 RBI, 100 runs

Betts: .289/.388/.516, .905 OPS, 25 HR, 75 RBI, 125 runs

Devers: .318/.367/.575, .941 OPS, 29 HR, 107 RBI, 114 runs

Bogaerts: .310/.386/.574, .960 OPS, 31 HR, 103 RBI, 102 runs

This one is about park effects and defense. The three Red Sox players are having better offensive seasons, but the difference -- again -- is not significantly better, especially after factoring in Fenway Park (hitters' park) and Oakland (pitchers' park). Baseball-Reference has Bogaerts at 38 runs above average, Devers at 32, Semien at 27 and Betts at 26.

Then we get to defense:

Semien: plus-2 DRS

Betts: plus-12

Devers: minus-6

Bogaerts: minus-20

When translating runs to wins, every 10 runs is approximately one win of value, so Bogaerts is losing about two wins of WAR due to his defense. Is he really 20 runs worse than an average shortstop? That, dear readers, is a debate for another day. Remember: Defensive evaluation is controversial! For the record, Bogaerts is steady, but probably does lack range. He was at minus-19 DRS last season and minus-11 the season before, so DRS is at least consistent in his evaluation.

Bottom line: Semien has quietly had an outstanding season, even if it's not a super flashy outstanding season. He gets on base, hits for power, plays every game and has turned into a solid shortstop. Props.

Case No. 4: Nick Ahmed (4.4) versus Freddie Freeman (4.3)

Wait, what? Freeman is hitting .300, has 38 home runs and leads the majors with 114 RBIs. Ahmed is hitting .264 with 17 home runs and 77 RBIs ... which, wow, when did Nick Ahmed become a competent major league hitter? Still, nice numbers, but not MVP-caliber numbers like Freeman.

You can guess where this one is going. Freeman has a 33-run advantage with his hitting (32 to minus-1), but Ahmed makes up for it in other areas:

Defense: plus-18 to plus-4

Baserunning: plus-4 to plus-1

Avoiding double plays: 0 to minus-2

Position adjustment: plus-7 to minus-7

Freeman will finish high in the MVP voting. Ahmed will be lucky to get a 10th-place vote or two. I'm not suggesting that's criminal if that happens. I'd take Freeman as well. We can at least acknowledge that Ahmed, who will probably win his second straight Gold Glove, has become a very valuable player for the Diamondbacks.

Case No. 5: Kolten Wong (4.5) versus Gleyber Torres (3.7)

This one is interesting because we're comparing two middle infielders, not a shortstop and first baseman. Torres has 34 home runs and Wong has 10, so there's 24 runs right there! Despite Torres' big edge in power, his offensive edge over Wong is only 10 runs -- 20 runs above average to 10. Wong's advantage is a higher OBP (.346 to .368), although surprisingly park effects have little to do with this comparison as Busch Stadium and Yankee Stadium both rate as slight pitchers' parks.

What? Yankee Stadium, with that Little League porch in right field?

Remember, park effects are about run environment and not whether a park is simply just a good home run park or about a player's specific home/road splits. Yankee Stadium boosts home runs, but takes away in other areas (doubles, mostly) to make it a more neutral park overall. Understanding run environment is important. It's not suggesting this player will perform a certain way in another park. It's just placing a value on the runs a player has created in his home park. Five runs at Petco is more valuable than five runs at Coors Field.

Anyway, Wong grades at plus-13 runs on defense and Torres at minus-4, making up for Torres' offensive edge. I mentioned earlier that WAR doesn't take clutch hitting into account (or timely hitting, if you dislike the term "clutch"). It also doesn't factor in a player's batting order position. Wong has spent most of the season hitting seventh or eighth. His on-base skills would have been more valuable if he hit in front of Paul Goldschmidt and Marcell Ozuna all season, since he'd score more runs than he did while hitting in front of the pitcher, but WAR values a player in a neutral context, stripped of his humanity and regarded as only the sum of bases gained and outs made.

Case No. 6: Jon Gray (4.5) versus Hyun-Jin Ryu (4.0)

Well, this is a bit barbarian: The guy who has been the Cy Young favorite most of the season versus the perennially frustrating Gray, who is now out for the season with a foot fracture.

What's the deal here? Well, park effects, of course. Gray, pitching half the time on Mars, has a park factor of 116.2; Ryu has a park factor of 96.

The second hidden factor is defense. The Rockies' defense is essentially average -- minus-.08 runs per nine innings. Defensive runs saved views the Dodgers' defense as the best in the game and credits it with helping Ryu to a whopping 0.54 runs per nine innings. Gray also has faced slightly tougher lineups (including the Dodgers three times).

Baseball-Reference's evaluation says Gray's 3.84 ERA in 150 innings while having to pitch at Coors Field is more impressive than Ryu's 2.45 ERA in 161.2 innings at Dodger Stadium with a great defense behind him.

Assuming Ryu gets back on track after his recent struggles, I don't think Cy Young voters will be buying this one, however. Ryu probably still rates as the favorite or co-favorite, even if he does rank just tied for 10th among NL pitchers in WAR.

Case No. 7: David Fletcher (3.3) versus Eugenio Suarez (2.9) and Jorge Soler (2.6)

It's OK to admit that you don't know who David Fletcher is. He plays for the Angels. Mostly third base, but also 25 games at shortstop, 15 at second base and 17 in the outfield. Second-year guy.

We present this:

Fletcher: 5 home runs

Suarez: 40 home runs

Soler: 40 home runs

This is why some people hate WAR. They can't wrap their heads around the idea that a five-homer player could be more valuable than a 40-homer hitter, even in a time when everyone hits home runs. Or maybe because everyone is hitting home runs. No power, no love.

What's the story? Well, Fletcher isn't a complete zero on offense. He gets on base (.345 OBP), hits some doubles, plays good defense (plus-10 DRS) and gets a positional adjustment of plus-3 runs. He's a nice, underappreciated kind of player.

Suarez has created 93 runs to 70 for Fletcher, but after park effects that difference ends up as 15-run advantage. His defense at third is below average at minus-2 DRS. With the other minor tweaks, Fletcher moves ahead in WAR. Soler is better on offense (25 runs above average), but he's a plodding right fielder (minus-8 DRS) and has also started 89 games at DH so gets a positional adjustment of minus-10 runs.

Bottom line, I guess: There's more to baseball than home runs, even in 2019.

Case No. 8: Billy Hamilton (0.7) versus Franmil Reyes (0.5)

Reyes is already a minor legend of sorts, with rockets and lasers and towering home runs. He has the fifth-highest average exit velocity in the game and has ripped 34 home runs. He's fun to watch for that possibility that he may hit the next pitch 500 feet. It's also really his only skill. He can't run, he's bad on defense, he doesn't draw many walks. There's a reason the Padres traded him and why the Indians are using him as a DH. He does have flaws.

Hamilton is his polar opposite, a guy how makes his living with his legs. He hasn't homered all year. If my math is correct, that's 34 to 0 in favor of Reyes. Hamilton is also hitting .218 with a .285 OBP and the Royals waived him. He can't possibly be more valuable than a guy hitting .254/.316/.531 with 34 home runs, can he?

WAR says, yes, it is possible.

Here's what I know: I'd love to see a team of Billy Hamiltons take on a team of Franmils.

Middle-distance runner trains with women’s football club in South Africa while her athletics career sits in limbo due to new IAAF rules

Caster Semenya looks poised to start a new sporting career as a footballer if she fails to overturn rules barring her from running in women’s races.

The two-time Olympic 800m champion is appealing a decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport to uphold the IAAF’s controversial new rules relating to testosterone limits in female athletics events such as her specialist 800m distance.

Under the new rules Semenya – and other female athletes with DSD (differences of sexual development) – need to reduce their natural testosterone level in order to take part in certain women’s events in international competition.

She refuses to comply by the rules and cannot defend her title at the IAAF World Championships, which starts this month in Doha, but has started training with Gauteng-based JVW women’s football club and says she is looking forward to “a new journey”.

The club is owned by South African women’s captain Janine van Wyk. Semenya, 28, used to play footballer in her youth and comparisons are not surprisingly being made with Usain Bolt’s move into football when his career ended.

CASTER SEMENYA JOINS JVW |

Olympic Champion Caster Semenya has reportedly joined and registered by JVW FC owned by Banyana captain Janine van Wyk and will be playing in the Gauteng #SasolLeague. The 28-year-old started training with the team on Tuesday. #LimSportsZone pic.twitter.com/ZbJzS4pUtK

— LimSportsZone (@LimSportsZone) September 4, 2019

“I am grateful for this opportunity and I appreciate the love and support I already get from the team,” said Semenya. “I am looking forward to this new journey, and hopefully I can contribute as much as I can to the club.”

Evaun Williams and Iris Holder win titles on day one of the European Masters Championships in Venice

Evaun Williams is expected to dominate all the W80 throws and she got off to an excellent start on the first day of the European Masters Championships on the outskirts of Venice to win Britain’s first gold medal, while Iris Holder won gold and Netherlands’ Rietje Dijkman set a world record.

It was generally a quiet day with no track finals and the opening ceremony breaking up the action but Britain got off to an encouraging start in hot conditions in Jesolo with the temperatures well into the 30s.

The multiple world champion and world record-holder Williams won the shot put by nearly two metres with 9.53m. The worst of her six throws was 9.14m and the runner-up Ewa Frackowiak of Poland threw just 7.67m.

The other British victory came from W75 triple jumper Holder, whose win was convincing in a different manner. Helgard Houben of Germany opened with 6.33m to Holder’s 6.26m but the Briton achieved her winning effort in round two with 6.42m.

Her third (6.39m), fifth (6.40m) and sixth (6.34m) were also marginally in excess of the German’s best mark and it was probably the 78-year-old’s best result since winning the World W70 title in Finland in 2012.

Just missing out on gold for Britain was Lucy Marshall in the W35 hammer. Marshall took the lead with a 60.25m throw in round two but Vania Sofia Sousa Silva of Portugal snatched gold off her by just two centimetres with a 60.27m fourth round throw.

Marshall, who set a 63.47m PB at Loughborough last month and ranks fifth nationally as a senior, was competing in her first masters international event.

Steve Linsell has been winning major masters high jump medals for over a decade and he matched his M50 silver from Aarhus in 2017 with a M55 second place with a 1.70m leap as Germany’s Ruediger Weber won with 1.76m.

In the W80 triple jump Netherlands’ Rietje Dijkman added a centimetre to the world record with a 7.37m leap.

Keith Newton won a M50 triple jump bronze with 12.48m as Italy’s Michele Tiko took gold with 12.67m.

In the 100m heats, Britain’s M35 Jonathan Browne (10.85), M80 Anthony Treacher (15.80) and W65 Caroline Powell (14.91) qualified fastest for the final while M60 John Wright (12.52) was easily fastest in the heats.

In the 1500m heats, M35 Mike Cummings (4:10.43), M40 Matt Barnes (4:15.93), M50 Mark Symes (4:26.14) and M55 Guy Bracken (4:38.46) plus M60 John Thomson (4:51.36) all produced the fastest times to qualify for Saturday’s finals.

Surprisingly Finland, with seven golds, top the medal table on day one and these included golds for Senni Sopanen in the W90 triple jump and shot.